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Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

bmj.com

71–80 of 178 posts

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#71
post #21

I can say from my own experience that the lack of vitamin D can have a significant impact on both mind and body. I suspect that essentially all people living at relatively northern latitudes have some sort of vitamin D deficiency. From what I know you need to have your face and arms exposed to direct sunshine for at least 15 minutes/day to keep healthy vitamin D levels in the body. Good luck with that in the European…

Its not possible to get any vitamin D from the sun in the winter in these high latitudes even if you outside in the sun all day with short sleeves. The angle of the sun is too low. We are just beginning march now, so the sun should soon be beginning to be high enough to give some benefit.

Yep - I learned that a few years ago.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#72
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

getting my blood panel ran and finding out i was deficient in Vitamin D changed my life for the better once i start daily supplementation of Vitamin D3 (5000 IU). I even live in Florida, but working in an office all day doesn't help. Now that my levels are good, i feel as if my memory is far better and i dont feel tired all the time.

> i feel as if my memory is far better and i dont feel tired all the time. I agree. Don't overdo it though, 5000 IU daily seems a bit much :) I live in Amsterdam and take 2000.

Out of personal curiosity, what supplement brand do you take? I live in Ams as well and the season is...horrible.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#73
post #21

I can say from my own experience that the lack of vitamin D can have a significant impact on both mind and body. I suspect that essentially all people living at relatively northern latitudes have some sort of vitamin D deficiency. From what I know you need to have your face and arms exposed to direct sunshine for at least 15 minutes/day to keep healthy vitamin D levels in the body. Good luck with that in the European…

South European winter is pretty okay, IMHO. Especially South Turkey and Cyprus, if we are not strictly speaking about Europe the continent.

I'd say anything South of Prague is probably ok. Even if the winters are cold, the sun is still shining for a long part of winter.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is one hypothesis, though there are a lot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flu_season#Cause

Mind boggling that this kind of a thing isn't known. This says the total economic effect of seasonal influenza in the US alone is 87 billion per year. That's six NASA:s worth: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X0...

> That's six NASA:s worth

The good news is, it's only four NASAs now. Their budget is up to $22.6 billion this year.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#76
post #21

I can say from my own experience that the lack of vitamin D can have a significant impact on both mind and body. I suspect that essentially all people living at relatively northern latitudes have some sort of vitamin D deficiency. From what I know you need to have your face and arms exposed to direct sunshine for at least 15 minutes/day to keep healthy vitamin D levels in the body. Good luck with that in the European…

Its not possible to get any vitamin D from the sun in the winter in these high latitudes even if you outside in the sun all day with short sleeves. The angle of the sun is too low. We are just beginning march now, so the sun should soon be beginning to be high enough to give some benefit.

Sweden here. My partner is a doctor, she claims with assurance that you can't make a carpet decision like this. People who come from norther latitudes are used to the lack of sun, and their bodies don't need more vitamin D than is provided. Depending on your heritage, ymvm.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#77
post #6

Interesting! Anecdotally I used to get very, very bad respiratory infections once a year when working in an office full time, getting at best an hour in the sun a day. Now I remote work and get anywhere from 2-6 hours sun most days, and I haven't had a serious infection for more than a year and a half. Could still be coming, but I feel 200% better overall so regardless, highly recommend getting outside more. Edit: ma…

Sounds like your exposure to other people might have changed dramatically: working in an office full time -> remote work.

Definitely. One of many factors involved. Less commute, always getting enough sleep I am sure help a bunch. But I can also feel a big difference in my abilities when I don't get outside for a few days, even when all those other benefits stay the same.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#78
post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not possible to get any vitamin D from the sun in the winter in these high latitudes even if you outside in the sun all day with short sleeves. The angle of the sun is too low. We are just beginning march now, so the sun should soon be beginning to be high enough to give some benefit.

Sweden here. My partner is a doctor, she claims with assurance that you can't make a carpet decision like this. People who come from norther latitudes are used to the lack of sun, and their bodies don't need more vitamin D than is provided. Depending on your heritage, ymvm.

It may still be worth taking a blood test, especially if you have some symptoms that match vitamin D deficiency.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#79

Table 4: > When all studies were analysed together, no statistically significant effect of vitamin D was seen on the proportion of participants with at least one upper respiratory tract infection, lower respiratory tract infection, hospital admission or emergency department attendance for acute respiratory tract infection, course of antimicrobials for acute respiratory tract infection, or absence from work or school…

The paper indicates that a meta-analysis of primary effects in published research shows a significant effect, but for secondary effects in published research (those not related to study aims), no effect. Ok.

Both sorts of reports (of primary and secondary effects) have their own sorts of biases. In general, while there is tendency to only publish and report significant effects (and this applies for both primary and secondary outcomes), study design matters, and a study may not be well designed to detect, or account for other factors, for secondary outcomes- in N, choice of population, control procedures and variables used, or even how accurately and systematically that data was recorded. Does make it hard to evaluate.

Re: Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections (2017)

#80
post #21

I can say from my own experience that the lack of vitamin D can have a significant impact on both mind and body. I suspect that essentially all people living at relatively northern latitudes have some sort of vitamin D deficiency. From what I know you need to have your face and arms exposed to direct sunshine for at least 15 minutes/day to keep healthy vitamin D levels in the body. Good luck with that in the European…

I doubt that's the case - for many years when I was a student I lived near equator and never went out. I never felt any impact or mind or body. I even tried some vitamin D3 supplement, smth like 2000IU but had no effects after few weeks, then I quit.

The biggest effect anything I had on me is Testosterone Enthante 250mg twice a week.

Also I wonder if taking 8,000 IU vitamin D can desentivize the system overtime

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